Saturday, February 13, 2016

Book Review: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (February 2016)

Title: The Girl From Everywhere
Author: Heidi Heilig
Page Count: 465
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Time Travel
Rating: 4 (and almost another half) Stars
Source: Won an ARC from SDCC Epic Reads Giveaway
Synopsis: It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever.

Review: "Sometimes fate makes choices for us"

I'd like to begin by apologizing for this mess of a review because it is unorganized and gushy, and crazy, and you have been warned.

I had this book for 4 months before I finally got to the book and picked it up... and immediately I was kicking myself in my butt, pulling my hair out, screaming at myself because I should have started it so much sooner.

The story begins so beautifully and we quickly gain a glimpse into Nix's world, her relationship with her father, and her friendship with Kashmir, as well as some interworking between Nix and Bee and Rotgut, the other people on the ship Temptation.

Before I even get to the plot of this book, or the characters... I just want to let you all know that Heidi's writing style is completely beautiful and it's lyrically written.

I had examples while reading the book, but then I had to put it aside to focus on school, and I hadn't tabbed the pages... but I asure you...

ITS SO WELL WRITTEN AND IT MAKES ME SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY.

The characters are fully fleshed out and believable. I loved Nix's voice from the moment she first spoke. She had a way of describing her surroundings and her feelings and everything so realistically and I truly felt I knew her personally and she was telling me a story of her past adventures, and I loved that feeling.

I loved Kashmir's witty banter in general, but specifically between him and Nix. It was hilarious, it was adorable and I shipped them from the first moment. (and that's saying something for me. I haven't shipped two characters that quickly in a LOOOONG time.) Kash is very strong, he is very sarcastic, and he is intelligent as well, but I think he tries to hide it at times.

Slate, the captain, Nix's father... pissed me off to no end so many times, but that's what he was supposed to do right? Anger me? Make me feel like I was Nix? If so... it worked. Slate was egotistical at times, and he was very self-centered yet I found myself forgiving him for his mistakes as Nix would. I couldn't stay mad, as frustrated as I got.

I loved Bee, and Rotgut, and the wise things they both had to say, as small of a part they played in this story, I felt like they were very important and I like the dynamic between them and the rest of the characters.

When we met Joss, I thought she was a lunatic, but I also knew that she would provide some very important insight to things in this world, in things that Nix would experience. I liked it, and I appreciated her and her relationship to Slate and how everything played out involving her.

The Hart family, Mr. Hart, Mrs. Hart, and Blake Hart were very interesting and I liked the way they tied in, Mrs. Hart made me uncomfortable with her interactions with Kashmir.... but that was brief and not really a big part of the story and Mr. Hart confused me oftentimes... and this is completely because I was really tired when I was reading 50 pages before the last 50 pages... so I think I missed something... but things happened and I didn't understand what was going on.

My confusion is the main reason I didn't give this book 5 stars... otherwise it would totally deserve the five star rating.

I loved the incorporation of the time travel and the way you had to do it. The rules are complicated but pretty easy to understand. You need a map from the time period you wish to travel to, and it must be dated. You also must believe you can travel there as well, or it will not work.

The Girl From Everywhere has executed time travel exquisitely with wonderful, rich characters, under a beautiful backdrop on the ship Temptation, and in Hawaii in different time periods. This book is wonderful and I think every person should read this because it is really worth the read. It is a pretty quick read, and I loved it sooo much.